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But these Reason-Principles, contained in the Soul, are they
Thoughts?
And if so, by what process does the Soul create in accordance
with these Thoughts?
It is upon Matter that this act of the Reason is exercised; and
what acts physically is not an intellectual operation or a
vision, but a power modifying matter, not conscious of it but
merely acting upon it: the Reason-Principle, in other words, acts
much like a force producing a figure or pattern upon water- that
of a circle, suppose, where the formation of the ring is
conditioned by something distinct from that force itself.
If this is so, the prior puissance of the Soul [that which
conveys the Reason-Principles] must act by manipulating the other
Soul, that which is united with Matter and has the generative
function.
But is this handling the result of calculation?
Calculation implies reference. Reference, then, to something
outside or to something contained within itself? If to its own
content, there is no need of reasoning, which could not itself
perform the act of creation; creation is the operation of that
phase of the Soul which contains Ideal-Principles; for that is
its stronger puissance, its creative part.
It creates, then, on the model of the Ideas; for, what it has
received from the Intellectual-Principle it must pass on in turn.
In sum, then, the Intellectual-Principle gives from itself to the
Soul of the All which follows immediately upon it: this again
gives forth from itself to its next, illuminated and imprinted by
it; and that secondary Soul at once begins to create, as under
order, unhindered in some of its creations, striving in others
against the repugnance of Matter.
It has a creative power, derived; it is stored with
Reason-Principles not the very originals: therefore it creates,
but not in full accordance with the Principles from which it has
been endowed: something enters from itself; and, plainly, this is
inferior. The issue then is something living, yes; but imperfect,
hindering its own life, something very poor and reluctant and
crude, formed in a Matter that is the fallen sediment of the
Higher Order, bitter and embittering. This is the Soul's
contribution to the All.
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